The Innocent
by SparksJSH
Summary: Will Rolf's attempt to switch the babies hit a snag when Belle catches him in the act?
1. The Kidnapping

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Disclaimer: The Corday Productions and NBC own everything to do with Days of Our Lives. I'm am using the characters for entertainment only and with no ill intentions. You should be able to tell that I've been watching Days for a really long time by the references to the early days of Days. I have no idea exactly how the baby switch is going to take place but here's one way it could happen.

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The Innocent: Kidnapped

By: SparksJSH

"Oh, Shawn, he's the cutest. You are so lucky to have a baby brother." Belle Black didn't face her friend as she spoke. She was too taken by the sleeping infant in the hospital nursery.

"Yeah, well, one night when he's keeping everyone up I'll remember that and let you have him for a few hours." Shawn's teasing tone told Belle that he wasn't serious. Belle knew how happy he'd been when they found his mom in France. Learning she was pregnant as well had only been icing on the cake. 

"I tried to talk Mom and Dad into having another baby right after they got married again. Dad seemed to like the idea but Mom said no. I believe her exact words were 'I've given birth to four children and helped raise two stepchildren. Now that Belle is almost grown I don't want to start back over.'"

Shawn did some rapid calculations. "Okay, Carrie and Brady I know are the stepchildren. Sami, Eric and you make three kids. Where am I missing the fourth?"

Belle laughed at his confusion and then grew serious. "I asked the same thing. Apparently during Mom's first marriage she had a baby that died of SIDS."

"She and Roman?"

Belle shook her head. "No, it was before she ever met Roman. It was Don Craig. He was a lawyer I think. I've seen pictures of him but that's it. So, since mom won't go for having another baby, I guess I'm stuck with spoiling my nephew Will and now this baby. Maybe if I get lucky, Commander and Dr. Carver will let me baby-sit for them sometime. That's their baby next to your brother isn't it?"

Shawn nodded. "Pretty wild that they were born at almost the same time, isn't it? They even look alike. I hope the nurses don't get them confused."

Belle glanced at him to see if he was serious. Not sure, she decided to reassure him. "Don't worry about that. They put tamper proof ID bracelets on them almost immediately. I spend as much time as I can up here while I'm volunteering. Speaking of which, I better get back to work. Tell your mom and dad congratulations for me."

Shawn nodded. Even after Belle left he continued to watch his new brother. He couldn't wait for the nurses to bring him back down to his mom's room where he could hold him. He wondered how much longer it would be. He tried to get the red headed nurse's attention but she ignored him. Finally he was able to catch the nurse's eye that helped with the delivery. She came to the door and smiled.

"Can I help you?"

"I was just wondering when you would be bringing the Brady baby back to his mother. I'm his brother." He added proudly even though the nurse had seen him in the delivery room.

"It should only be another fifteen to twenty minutes. I know you are anxious to spend time with him but we have to make sure we do all the necessary tests."

Shawn nodded and thanked her. He didn't want to leave the nursery window, but he figured his mom and dad would like an update. With one last glance he turned away from the window and started down the hall.

***

Inside the nursery the redheaded nurse smiled. It was Rolf in disguise. He didn't think Bo and Hope's son would ever leave. Now if only he could get the nurse to leave out he could switch the babies like Stefano wanted. He didn't have much time. Once the babies left the nursery, he wouldn't have another chance,

"The Bradys' are lucky to have a son that excited about being a brother." The nurse commented to Rolf.

He nodded. "Yes, I agree, very lucky. You must be tired after assisting with the delivery. Why don't you take your break now before we take these precious babies to their mothers."

The nurse frowned. "I could use a cup of coffee. Dr. Bader has another delivery she'll want me to assist with in about a half-hour. But Cathy's still on her break. I couldn't leave all this on you alone."

Rolf shook "her" head. "Don't be ridiculous. I'll be fine. Now go on. You might not get another chance."

Finally the nurse agreed. Rolf was relieved that he was finally alone. Moving both babies out of the security camera's unblinking eye, he quickly slipped a new bracelet marked Brady around the wrist of the baby that Marlo had borne and cut the original away. Turning to Hope's baby he slipped the bracelet marked Carver around the small wrist. He was just cutting away the other one when the door opened and Belle Black stepped in.

Afraid that he'd been caught, he looked up with a glare. "What are you doing in here?" Rolf demanded, almost forgetting to disguise his voice. Frightened by his tone Belle took a step backward. Rolf forced a smile. It would do no good scaring the girl. "I mean, I'm not supposed to let volunteers in here."

Over her initial shock, Belle stepped back into the room. She smiled. "Nurse Davison always lets me come in here. Besides, Dr. Carver sent me to see when she and Commander Carver would be able to see the baby." She approached the bassinet and smiled at the baby. She saw the name Carver on the bracelet. She touched it briefly. "What were you doing to his tag? I thought they were supposed to stay on until the baby leaves the hospital."

"Yes they are. But it looked like it was on too tight. I didn't want his circulation to be cut off or for the bracelet to rub a sore on his wrist so I fixed a new one for him." With a slight of hand, he produced the original Carver bracelet to show Belle. Belle nodded.

"Poor little guy. I'm glad you noticed it. So what should I tell Dr. Carver?"

"We'll have this little guy ready in about fifteen minutes. Tell her not to worry, we're taking very good care of him."

Satisfied, Belle left. Rolf swore and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed Bart's number. "We have a problem. John Black's daughter saw me changing the bracelets. I made up an excuse so I don't think she's suspicious but we can't afford to take chances."

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"Should I tell Stefano?"

"No, not yet. He will be furious if he thinks his plan is in jeopardy. No we will take care of Miss Black ourselves. Once the situation has been dealt with, then we will tell Stefano. Listen carefully, here is what we are going to do…"

***

"Man, I'm still on cloud nine. I hated leaving Mom but I'm glad that Grandma and Grandpa Brady insisted Dad and I come to the pub for supper. I know Mom and the baby need to rest but I was too excited to stay quiet. Dad's the same way. He's like a kid at Christmas."

"Is that why he left early?" Belle asked as she and Shawn walked to the pub. Just before she'd finished her shift at the hospital, she'd run into Bo leaving the hospital. 

"Yeah, plus Mom had a list of things that needed to be done at the house. I can't believe she and the baby are coming home tomorrow. I mean she just gave birth today. I thought she'd be in the hospital for a couple of days."

"Well, both she and the baby are fine. There's no need to keep them any longer. "

Shawn nodded. He was glad they were coming home so soon. He couldn't wait to spend time playing with his new brother. He was about to admit that when suddenly two men in ski masks wearing all black pulled them into the alley.

Belle screamed and struggled against the arms that held her tight. Despite her struggles the man released his hold with one arm to thrust a cloth over her nose and mouth. It had a sickening smell and she immediately felt lightheaded. Her eyes watering from unshed tears and from the chloroform, Belle tried to call out to Shawn.

Shawn wanted to help her but was having troubles of his own. A well place right jab in the stomach sent him to the ground. The masked attacker continued to hit the hapless teen in the face and stomach until Belle's assailant told him to stop. Shawn tried to fight back but was too weak. He continued to lie there, too battered and bruised to do much more than that. He felt helpless as the guy who had grabbed Belle handed the unconscious teen over to the other man. Tossing her over his shoulder, Shawn's attacker spared Shawn one more glance before both men were gone. 

"Belle!" Shawn called after her. By the time he managed to make it to his feet and out of the alley there was no sign of the pretty blonde or their attackers. Holding his bruised ribs Shawn walked as fast as he could toward the pub. Darkness threatened to keep him from his goal but he finally stumbled inside. Just inside the door, he collapsed to his knees.

Caroline Brady noticed him first. "Shawn!" She turned back to the bar. "Bo, Roman, come quick."

At her frightened call, Bo and Roman stopped talking and looked at her. Seeing his son on the floor, Bo was out of his seat and at Shawn's side in an instant. "Shawn! What happened? Who did this? Talk to me Sailor Man."

Shawn gripped Bo's shirt. "Had masks on. Dad, they took Belle. You have to go after them." Then he passed out.

***

Belle awoke with a groan. Her head was pounding and her stomach was doing flip-flops. It took her a moment to remember what had happened in that alley. Her heart now matching her head pound for pound, she checked out her surroundings. She appeared to be in a damp, musty warehouse. The room was windowless and dark. Her hands were tied behind her back and her feet were bound at her ankles. A bandanna had been tied around her mouth as a gag. But she appeared to be alone. Remembering the beating she'd seen Shawn getting before she passed out she wasn't sure if that was a good or bad. 

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Shawn, you have to be okay. You have to tell my dad what happened where he can find me. She didn't feel selfish for thinking that. She didn't want to see Shawn hurt for any reason. But she knew they'd been close to the pub when they'd been attacked. The Bradys would take care of him; meanwhile, she was the one being held captive.

A door opened and a light came on. Belle had to close her eyes at the sudden glare. She slowly reopened them in time to see one of the masked men from the alley kneel in front of her. She couldn't see his face because of the mask but his eyes were cold. She whimpered.

"So you are finally awake. Don't worry, little girl. I'm not going to hurt you. I understand your daddy is a rich man. I bet he loves you enough that he'd is willing to pay just about anything to make sure nothing happens to his sweet little girl. Is that right?"

Tears filled her eyes as she nodded. She had been kidnapped for a ransom. Surely that had to mean that they wouldn't hurt her. But then she remembered the beating Shawn had received in the alley. The guy before her appeared to be the same one who had hurt Shawn. She knew he was capable of violence. He touched her cheek sending shivers up her spine. She whimpered again. He produced a Polaroid camera and quickly snapped her picture. She could almost imagine he was smiling underneath that mask.

"When I send your Dad the ransom note, I want him to know that I really have you and that you are alive. Whether or not you stay that way depends on how cooperative he is. For your sake, I hope he's very cooperative."

Belle shuddered again.

***

John and Marlena rushed into the emergency room. John spotted Bo talking to Roman near the nurses' desk and steered Marlena toward them. She grabbed Bo's arm. "Bo, we came as soon as we got your page. What happened?"

Bo frowned. He hated to have to tell them what happened. "Belle and Shawn were walking together to the pub when they were attacked. Shawn was beaten pretty badly; the doctor is examining him now. Fortunately he was able to get to the pub and tell us what happened."

John gripped Marlena's shoulders tightly as she groaned. "What about Belle? Is she okay? Where is she?"

Bo sighed. "Shawn couldn't tell us much before he passed out. But he did manage to tell us that whoever attacked them kidnapped Belle."

Marlena sagged against John at the news. She would have fallen if not for his supportive arms. Her hand flew to her mouth as she began to cry. Reaching over Roman squeezed her ex-wife's arm. "I've already put out an APB. Every available officer is looking for Belle right now. We are going to find her. I promise you that."

"Stefano. I bet he's behind this." John's jaw was rocking. 

"That was my first thought. But what for? What would he gain from kidnapping Belle? Why would he kidnap Belle?" Bo asked.

"Why does Stefano do anything? So help me, if he harms one hair on her head, I'll…"

Before John could finish his threat, a nurse stepped out of an exam room. "Mr. Brady, you can see your son now."

Bo nodded. "How is he?"

The nurse smiled. "He's a very lucky young man. He'll be sore for several days but nothing was broken. He's awake and worried about his friend. I didn't know what to tell him. I'll bring the discharge papers in just a few minutes and you can take him home."

Bo, Roman, John and Marlena entered the exam room the nurse had just left. Shawn was lying in the bed. His face was bruised and he looked like he was fighting back tears. When he saw Marlena and John, a tear did slip past his defenses. "I tried to help her but he was too strong for me. I'm so sorry."

Marlena leaned over and kissed his forehead. She was worried sick about her daughter but she knew that if at all possible Shawn felt worse about it. "I'm sure you did, Shawn. Nobody blames you."

Bo sat on the bed next to his son. "Shawn, can you tell us anything about the men who attacked you?"

Shawn shook his head. "They were wearing masks. There were two of them. One grabbed Belle and the other attacked me. It all happened so fast. One minute Belle and I are talking about the baby and the next, there they were. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, son."

John pulled Marlena aside. "I'm going to see Stefano."

Her eyes wide with fear. "NO! Please John, what if does have her?"

"Then I want him to know he won't get away with it. I can't just sit back and wait, Doc. You know that. I'll meet you at the pub in a little while. Call me on the cell phone if you hear anything. I'm going to get our little girl back safe and sound. Stefano is going to regret the day he messed with my family."

Terrified for him and her daughter, Marlena had no choice but to let him go. Before she did, however, she hugged him tightly. "Be careful."

When he was gone, Marlena turned back to Shawn. She knew he was feeling guilty but she had to know more. "Shawn, when those men took Belle, did they hurt her?"

Shawn shook her head. "Not like they did me. The guy that grabbed her chloroformed her but they didn't hit her or anything like that. I should have done more, anything. If anything happens to her, it'll be my fault."

***

"Where is she Stefano?"

Stefano DiMera set his glass of cognac on the table at John's sudden entrance. Illiana was right behind him. "I'm sorry, sir, I tried to stop him."

Stefano smiled. "It's all right. Obviously Mr. Black is upset over something. You can leave now Illiana. I'll let you know if I need you." He waited until she was out of the room. "John, where is who? What is wrong?"

"Don't play games with me DiMera. You know who I'm talking about. Someone kidnapped her and beat up Shawn Douglas. Don't try to tell me you don't know anything about it. I know you had to be behind it."

Stefano was genuinely surprised. "John, I don't know what you are talking about. Belle was kidnapped? Bo and Hope's son was beaten? Is he okay?"

John studied Stefano carefully. If he didn't know better he would say that Stefano was telling the truth. But he had to be lying. Who else would kidnap his daughter/"

John grabbed the other man's collar. "Come off it, Stefano. You are the only one who would want to hurt my family so much that you would kidnap my daughter. If you hurt her…"

Stefano shook his head and gave a tsk tsk. "Really John. You know me better than that. I would never hurt such a sweet innocent girl as Belle. I will put out some calls, get my people looking for her. I know how worried you and Marlena must be."

John realized he wouldn't get anywhere with Stefano. He released him. "I mean it Stefano. If I find out you have her and she's hurt in any way, you'll wish I'd left you in that castle to burn." Without another word he left. 

Stefano watched his retreat and then picked up his glass. For once in his life he was innocent of what he was being accused of. He wondered who was responsible for Belle's kidnapping. Just then Rolf entered the room. He looked at him.

"I trust the switch went as planned? Hope now has Marlo's baby and my dear Alexandra has Hope's baby?"

Rolf nodded. "It has been done. No one suspected a thing."

"Good. Rolf, John Black was just here. It seems someone has kidnapped his daughter. See what you can find out about it."

"Belle Black is with Bart right now."

Angrily Stefano slammed his glass on the table. "WHAT!! How dare you do something like that without consulting me first."

"We had to act fast, Stefano." Rolf assured him. "She came in while I was changing the bracelets. I gave her a convincing story but I didn't want to chance her mentioning things and making anyone suspicious."

"So you kidnapped her and beat Shawn Douglas Brady in the process. What do you plan to do with her now that you have her, Rolf? Hmm? Or did you think that far ahead."

Rolf smiled. "Of course I did, Stefano. Bart will be sending John a ransom note. There will be no reason for them to expect that her kidnapping was anything but someone's desperate attempt to get money out of John Black. In a couple of days Belle Black will be back home with her family."

"And how will this change anything about her seeing you with the bracelets?"

"Ah, you see by the time I'm through with Belle Black, she won't remember a thing about what she saw in that nursery. And even if she does, no one will believe anything she says."


	2. Shawn in Tights and Other Strange Vision...

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Disclaimer: Days of Our Lives is owned by Corday Productions and NBC. I own nothing and am making nothing off this story Read Part 1first if you haven't already done so.

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The Innocent (Part 2): Shawn in Tights and Other Strange Visions

By: SparksJSH

"I have to get back to the hospital before your mom worries." Bo reluctantly told Shawn. Two hours had passed since Shawn and Belle had been attacked near the pub and Belle had been kidnapped. Though the police were diligently searching for her, so far there had been no leads. Everyone at the pub agreed that Hope didn't need to know about what had happened tonight. She was exhausted from giving birth and didn't need any additional worries. They couldn't keep it from her indefinitely, the bruises on Shawn's face would see to that but they had decided once she was released from the hospital would be soon enough.

"Tell Mom I love her." Shawn told him absently. He'd been this way since Bo had brought him home from the hospital. Bo looked at his son. He knew Shawn was worried about Belle and feeling guilty for not being able to do more. 

"I will. You get some rest, Sailor Man. You heard the doctor. You may not have any broken bones but you are still injured. I'll call and check on you later." Bo hated to leave. He was torn; he knew his son needed him right now but so did his wife and other son. Caroline seemed to sense his hesitation and met him at the doorway. She hugged him.

"Go on back to Hope, Bo. Shawn will be fine. He's surrounded by family and friends that care."

"But Belle isn't. Mom, I know this is killing John and Marlena. No matter what has happened in the past, the one thing they've tried to do is shelter the kids from it Belle didn't even know what Stefano looked like until she saw him in France. She's not prepared for something like this. She's out there alone somewhere going through who knows what…"

"She' not alone, Bo. We've all said prayers for God to watch over her and bring her home safe and sound. Besides, you heard John; he really doesn't think Stefano was responsible this time."

Bo nodded. "I know; that's what scares me. As bad as Stefano is, I don't think he would hurt her. But if we are dealing with an unknown person here, we don't know what they might do to Belle. Call me if there is any word."

Caroline nodded. After Bo left she turned to look around the pub. Belle's friends from school had poured in as soon as they heard she was missing. Even Chloe was hovering in the fringes; worried about one of the few people in all of Salem she could count as a friend but afraid to be noticed. Eric and Sami had arrived about an hour earlier after Marlena had tracked them down to tell them. John, Marlena and the twins were sitting together in the corner. 

Sami wiped her eyes. She and Belle weren't that close, they never had been, but that didn't matter right now for she was still terrified for her sister. "I wish that this was like the last time she was missing. At least she was safe that time."

She was referring to the time when Belle had been just a baby and Sami had kidnapped her. At the time she'd been so afraid that the truth would come out that John was Belle's father instead of Roman and that the truth would destroy her family. In the end the truth had come out and her parents had divorced but that was water under the bridge, she had reluctantly come to realize that Marlena and John loved each other and belonged together. Marlena reached over and squeezed Sami's hand.

Eric shook his head. "I can't believe something like this happened. Haven't we been through enough?"

"Roman and Abe will find her." John tried to reassure them all but even he didn't sound convinced. The door to the pub opened and everyone at the table looked up; each one secretly hoping that it would be Belle and that it had all been some horrible mistake. But it was a messenger instead. He looked around.

"I have a delivery for John Black."

With a glance at the others, John rose and accepted the thin brown envelope. He gave the messenger a tip. Everyone watched him expectantly as he opened the letter. A typed letter and a Polaroid picture fell out of the envelope into his hand. He looked at the picture first. He then shut his eyes, his jaw rocking. He then scanned the letter. Marlena touched his arm.

"John?"  


"It's from the kidnapper. He says he wants three million dollars or he'll kill Belle. He'll contact me soon with details for the drop." 

Marlena took the picture from him. It was a picture of Belle. She was bound and gagged. Though it was obvious she was terrified beyond compare, it didn't appear that she'd been hurt. Grateful for that at least, Marlena sank into a chair. She looked at John. "Could that be really it? Someone who knew you had money kidnapped her for the ransom?"

"It looks like it at least. Doc, if they are wanting money they won't hurt her, not if we cooperate. I don't care about the money. Hell, I'd come up with twice that much money if it meant getting Belle back safe and sound. I'm going to call Abraham and Roman and tell them about the ransom demand. I'll be right back."

Marlena nodded. She continued to sit there clutching the picture that was for the moment her only connection to her youngest daughter. Shawn approached her. Oblivious to the pain, he knelt beside her. Stray tears traced his cheeks. Marlena smiled sadly at him and pushed the hair from his eyes. "Oh, Shawn, quit blaming yourself. There was nothing else you could have done. If you had tried anything more they might have killed you. Belle wouldn't have wanted that. She'll be fine. You'll see. Soon this will be just a horrible nightmare."

***

"You will give her this." Rolf handed Bart a syringe of clear liquid. Bart looked at it skeptically.

"What is it?"

"Something that will ensure that Miss Black doesn't trust any of her memories of this whole experience."

Bart frowned. "In that case why don't you give it to her? She seems like a sweet kid. I don't want to hurt her."

Rolf frowned. "Would you rather that we permanently silenced her? That is the alternative. If she recognizes my voice before she is given the drug, it may make what she saw in that nursery more relative and hard to forget. I promise you that the drug will not cause young Belle any permanent damage. Now go in there and give it to her."

Knowing he had no choice, Bart put his ski mask back on and went to the door.

Belle actually had to wake herself up when the door opened. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the cobwebs in her mind. She had to be ready for whatever happened. She had no concept of how much time had passed since she'd been kidnapped; it could have been hours or days. Her whole body was stiff from being tied up. She was hungry and thirsty.

Her captor knelt in front of her. She still couldn't see his face but she'd be more scared if she could. If they were planning on killing her they wouldn't bother keeping their faces covered. Hopefully they would release her soon. Her eyes pleaded with him to take the gag out at least. He sighed.

"If I remove the gag do you promise not to scream?" 

Belle nodded. She would have crossed her fingers if she could because if it meant someone might hear her and rescue her she would scream bloody murder as soon as she could. She remained completely still as he untied the bandanna. She didn't scream right away. She knew as dry as her throat was she wouldn't get much of a squeak out. 

"Water?" Even that one word was painful. 

Bart took pity on the girl and held a bottle of water to her lips. Belle drank thirstily, unmindful that some of the water was spilling down her blue shirt. After she drank her full, she pulled back. Tears filled her eyes. "Why are you doing this to me? Please let me go. I won't tell anyone anything. I don't know anything to tell them. Please, I just want my mom and dad."

'Sorry little girl. Your dad is going to make me a rich man. Look, I hate this as much as you do. You seem like a nice kid and all but business is business. This will all be over in a day or so. Right now, I have to do this to you. I'm really sorry." He pulled the needle from his pocket and set it on the floor beside Belle. Using an alcohol pad, he swabbed a small section of the girl's bare upper arm. 

Afraid of what might be in the needle, Belle began to scream as loud as she could. She squirmed and wiggled trying to get as much distance between her and the needle. Bart slapped his hand over her mouth with a bruising force to muffle her screams. His big hand partially covered her nose making it difficult to breathe.   
  
"Shut up kid. What are you trying to do; get me in trouble?" He quickly replaced the gag, tying it tighter than before so that the material almost cut into the sides of her mouth. Belle was shaking all over; her screams now reduced to muffled whimpers. He picked the needle back up and uncapped it. "Hold still."

But Belle couldn't. She wiggled and moved, dodging his every attempt to inject her with the contents of the syringe. Bart was growing impatient with her. With his left hand he backhanded her across the right cheek. As the teen lay there dazed, he completed his task. He looked down at her. "I didn't want to hurt you. If you'd just done like I told you I wouldn't have had to hit you." 

Belle was sobbing now as a warm flush crept over her body. Her head began to spin. Whatever he'd given her worked fast. She blinked rapidly and then her whole body stiffened. There was a rattlesnake curled up at her feet ready to strike.

***

"Bo, what's wrong?" Hope watched her husband closely. Every since he'd returned from supper, he'd seemed edgy and restless. Also she couldn't buy the fact that Shawn was too exhausted to come back to see her.

Bo turned back to her. Despite his worry about Belle, it didn't take much effort to force a smile at his beautiful wife and tiny son. "What makes you think something is wrong, Fancy Face?"

"Before Shawn left here he was so excited. He couldn't wait to get back here. Suddenly he's too tired to visit? And you, you're as jumpy as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. You keep looking at the phone like you're expecting it to ring. My imagination is working overtime thinking of the worst. Please tell me what happened."

Bo sighed and perched beside her on the bed. He hated to upset her but since she was already upset he had no choice. "Belle Black was kidnapped this afternoon. She and Shawn were on their way to the pub when two men jumped them."

Hope paled. "Poor Belle. John and Marlena must be frantic. Was it Stefano?"

Bo shook his head. "Apparently not. That was John's first thought so he went to confront DiMera. He said Stefano seemed genuinely surprised and concerned to hear that Belle was missing."

Suddenly Hope picked up on what else Bo had said. "What about Shawn? You said Shawn was with Belle. Is he okay? Is that why he isn't here?"

The baby in the bassinet let out a cry. Before answering Hope, Bo picked the baby up and placed him in Hope's arms. "Shawn is with Mom and Pop. I won't lie to you, Hope; he was beaten up. The ER doctor checked him out though and said he's okay. He's got a lot of bruises but no broken bones. To be honest I think he's more concerned about Belle than the pain."

Tears filled her eyes. She knew Bo wouldn't lie to her but she wanted to hear for herself that he was okay. "Hand me the phone, Bo."

Bo understood her need and handed her the receiver. Since her hands were full with the baby, he dialed the number to the pub. She wouldn't be able to concentrate on her new baby until she was sure that her other son was fine.

***

Belle froze when she saw the snake at her feet. She hoped that if she didn't move the snake would ignore her and go away. Just as the rattlesnake was about to strike a hand snatched the snake by the neck and slung it away.

"Hey TinkerBelle. What is going on?" To her utter shock and joy Shawn was beside her. It took her a moment to realize he was wearing a green tunic and green tights. He smiled at her and winked. "Don't tell me you don't recognize your old pal Peter Pan. I figured it was time to take you to Never Never Land."

Belle was confused. Why was Shawn acting this way? She whimpered, hoping he would remove the gag and untie her. But he made no move to do either. He cocked his head. "Remember what you said on the island after the plane crash? You said you weren't going to grow up. So, it's off to Never Never Land with you. I've got the magic fairy dust all ready for you."

She screamed his name into the gag but it was too muffled to be understood. How could he sit there playing around while she was being held hostage? Where was her father? This was a nightmare but she knew she had to be awake; she hadn't had time to go back to sleep. Shawn shrugged.

"Okay, I guess you're a little tied up right now. I'll leave the dust with you and you can follow me when you get freed up. Just remember to use the dust and think happy thoughts. You do remember the way to Never Never Land don't you? Second star to the right and straight on til morning. See you in a little while."

As quickly as Shawn had arrived he was gone. Curling up in as much of a ball as she could, Belle closed her eyes and allowed her sobs to overwhelm her. _Please, Dear Lord, let my dad find me soon. I can't take much more of this._

***

"Shawn, are you okay?" Chloe tentatively sat at the same table with Shawn. She had never seen him look so scared. 

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? I'm fine. Belle's the one everyone should be worried about." His tone was sharp. So sharp that Chloe flinched and almost left the table. Shawn took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped. I'm glad you are here. Belle will be too when she's rescued and I tell her. I'll be okay. I just wish I could do something. I wish I was the one that had been kidnapped instead of Belle."

Chloe frowned. "So you would rather it have been Belle that had been beat up? Shawn, according to the picture that her father received she hasn't been hurt. I know she's probably really scared right now but at least they won't hurt her until they get their money. By that time, the police and Mr. Black will have figured out where to find her."

Shawn nodded. "I guess you have a point. I just feel so helpless. I can't just sit here and do nothing. I'm going to go find that delivery boy and see what he can tell me about the person who sent that letter."

"Didn't the police already question him?"

"Yeah, but he was scared. Maybe he'll talk to me and tell me something that he didn't tell them. He didn't look that much older than I am. If anyone asks, tell them I went up to my room to rest."

Chloe shook her head. "I'm going with you."

Nobody noticed the two teens sneak away from the pub.

***

Several warehouses away, Bart watched the monitor Rolf had set up to observe Belle. Rolf had insisted that it wasn't safe for them to stay in the same building in case someone happened to come by. This way they could still watch over her without the risk of capture. The teen was still curled up in a ball. He felt sorry for her. If she had just stayed out of that nursery for a couple of minutes more this wouldn't be happening. He turned to Rolf. "What was that stuff you had me give her?"

Rolf smiled. "A very powerful hallucinogenic. She'll be seeing things for another couple of hours yet. By the time I'm through with her, she won't trust any of her memories." 

Bart noticed on the monitor suddenly that Belle had uncurled. She was looking to the space next to her like someone was in there with her. He wondered what sort of hallucination she was having right then.

***

"Hey TinkerBelle, I see you are still all tied up."

Belle opened her eyes and uncurled. Shawn was back, still dressed in his Peter Pan tunic and tights. He smiled at her with that same cocky grin that she'd grown to love. Belle cried even harder. What was happening to her? This couldn't really be Shawn. He'd never leave her just tied up like this.

Shawn shrugged. "Well, I'm sorry, TinkerBelle. You've lost your chance to go to Never Never Land. I found someone else to go with me. I hope you understand. It's nothing personal but I can't wait for forever."

Suddenly Chloe was three with him. Only she didn't look anything like the Chloe Belle knew so well. Instead of her trademark black shapeless clothes and glasses, Chloe was wearing a beautiful red chiffon ball gown with a slightly revealing neckline. Her long curly black hair was pulled back in a sophisticated sweep. The girl was breathtakingly beautiful. Even in her bewilderment Belle couldn't help but think the ones that made such an art form of tormenting Chloe should see her this way.

"TinkerBelle, meet Wendy. I'm taking her with me to Never Never Land. You should hear her sing. All the boys are going to love her. Well, we've got to fly now. So long TinkerBelle."

__

No! She screamed in her head. _"Don't leave me here. Please take me with you. Shawn, Chloe…"_

Chloe smiled. "Silly, girl, who is Shawn and Chloe? He's Peter Pan and I'm Wendy. Come on, Peter, sprinkle that magic dust. I've got my happy thoughts all ready." 

Shawn laughed and tossed a handful of dust on Chloe. "Okay Wendy, here you go." He turned to Bellea nd threw a handful on her as well. "There, TinkerBelle. Now you are ready to follow us if you ever get untied. Goodbye."

As suddenly as they appeared they were gone, so quickly that Belle wondered if they had ever really been there. She sniffled. She'd been crying so hard that her nose had started to run. With her hands tied she'd had no way of wiping it. Pretty soon it would be hard for her to breathe. She wished her captor would come back. Even if he had hit at least she knew he was a real person. She was starting to believe that whatever he'd given her in that shot had driven her crazy already. 

"Belle."

The frightened teen looked around the room. There was no one in the room with her. Where had the voice come from? She must be losing her mind. The voice sounded almost familiar but she couldn't place where. Nobody she knew had that sort of an accent or that patronizing a tone.

"Really Belle, you should have taken care to dress a little more appropriately." Belle glanced down at her shorts and blue shirt. Her outfit was fine for the already hot climate Salem was currently having. She looked around again. "You are going to get hypothermia dressed like that as cold as it is." Now that he said it, Belle realized she was cold. She began to shiver. She curled back up in a ball to try to maintain her body heat. How had it gotten so cold all of a sudden?

"And the spiders, I've never seen so many spiders. They're crawling all over you."

Belle's heart began to pound as she felt the creatures crawling up her legs and arms. She could see literally thousands of small black spiders crawling all over the room, including her body. With her arms bound she had no way of knocking them off. She squirmed and wiggled again hoping they would fall off. Her body continued to shake.

***

In the other warehouse, Rolf grinned. It never ceased to amaze him what the power of suggestion could do to someone on this drug. He looked at Bart. "Would you like to try something?"

Bart shook his head. "No, why can't you leave her alone. Isn't she going through enough as it is?"

Rolf shook his head. "Getting a conscience late in the game aren't we? No, you see this way, she will associate my voice with her hallucinations. Now she'll never connect it to what she saw or heard in the nursery. This is too good. I'll have you give her another injection in a couple of hours. Tomorrow afternoon we can safely set up an exchange with John Black. I'm sure he is willing by now to do anything to get his precious little girl back."

***

Chloe sighed. "That was a bust. He didn't know anything more than what he told the police."

Shawn nodded. "I was so sure this would get us somewhere. I hate this."

"So what do we do now? Go back to the pub and wait? I bet your grandparents are worried about you by now." Chloe touched his arm. She never realized before just how much Shawn apparently cared for Belle. She wondered if he even realized it. 

"You go back if you want. I can't just go back there and sit and do nothing."

Chloe shook her head. "No, if you are staying then so will I. What about the picture, did you get a good look at it?"

"Yeah, Belle was in a dark damp room. It looked kind of like one of those buildings down beyond the dock. The police are checking them out now." 

"Is that the only place it could have been? Maybe we're all overlooking something."

Shawn suddenly looked up, smiled and hugged her tightly almost whirling her around. He put her down as his bruised ribs protested. "You are a genius Chloe. There are a couple of old abandoned warehouses on the other side of town that look like that. She could be in one of them. I'm going to check them out. You go back to the pub and tell my grandparents what we came up with."

Chloe caught his arm. "I'm going with you. It's too dangerous for you to go alone. Come on let's go."

Time was too precious to waste by arguing with her. Shawn nodded. As they started toward the warehouses he said a little prayer that Belle would be there and unharmed. _Hang on, Belle, we're on our way._

STAY TUNED FOR PART THREE: RESCUE AND RECOVERY.


	3. Rescue and Recovery

__

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story and I'm making no matter off this. Make sure you have read parts one and two before you read this part or you will be lost.

****

The Innocent (Part 3): Rescue and Recovery

By: SparksJSH

John dropped into a chair at the pub. Marlena waited for him to say something, anything that would give her hope that Belle was okay. After a second, he shook his head. "Nothing. Roman said they searched every abandoned boat yard. Belle wasn't in any of them and there was so proof that she'd ever been there."

Marlena shut her eyes to keep from crying. "Oh, John, when is this nightmare going to end? I want my baby back."

John moved beside her and hugged her. Then he cupped her face in his hands. "We are going to get her back, Doc. I promise you that. I'm not going to let anyone hurt my little girl. You know that."

Marlena nodded. She did know that. But the look on her husband's face scared her. It reminded her of the way John had acted in the plane before it crashed and on the island. John would move heaven and earth to bring Belle safely home but at what cost to himself; she couldn't help but wonder.

Caroline approached their table looking worried. "Have either of you seen Shawn? I haven't seen him since right after he talked to Hope on the phone."

Marlena shook her head. "Maybe he went upstairs to get some rest. He's probably sore and exhausted from everything that's happened today. Not only that but he was also up all last night waiting for Hope to have the baby. The doctor told him to get rest."

"That's what I thought so I went up to check on him. He's not there. Part of me wants to call Bo and Hope at the hospital but I don't want to wake them up. Besides it would only worry them."

John raised an eyebrow. "Surely he wouldn't go out looking for Belle by himself. He would know how dangerous that could be for the both of them."

"I think he would. I've noticed the way Shawn and Belle act around each other. He cares for her a great deal. All afternoon and evening he has felt so guilty that he didn't, couldn't, do anything to help Belle. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he was out there looking." Marlena theorized.

"I'll go call Roman and Abe to be on the watch for him." John excused himself.

"Marlena, has there been any word about Belle?" Nancy Wesley stopped at their table. "Chloe called me at the hospital earlier to tell me what had happened. I couldn't believe it. You and John must be beside yourselves with worry."

"No, Nancy, there's been nothing since the ransom note." Marlena glanced around the room. "Where is Chloe? I noticed her here earlier."

Nancy scanned the room as well. She frowned. "I don't see her. That's odd. She told me on the phone that she was going to stay until you knew something definite."

"I saw her talking to Shawn earlier." Caroline offered. Marlena's eyes widened. Caroline read her expression. "You don't think…?"

"That Chloe and Shawn are out there together looking for Belle? That is exactly what I think."

***

"Very peculiar." Rolf watched the monitor carefully.

Bart looked up at him. "What?"

"Young Belle Black isn't having the reaction to the drug that I thought she would. It is obvious that she is having hallucinations and is susceptible to suggestion of horrible things but it appears that the hallucinations her mind is producing on its own are benign."

Though he didn't say so, Bart was relieved. Belle was just an innocent victim in all this. She didn't deserve what they were doing to her. He shrugged. "She's probably led a pretty sheltered life. I can't imagine John Black telling his little girl about the things Stefano has done to him as bedtime stories. She probably doesn't have much of a frame of reference for anything too horrible."

"Yes, well this second injection will ensure that her hallucinations are far from benign." Rolf handed Bart a syringe.

Stefano's lackey shook his head. "Un uh, you give it to her. She's already heard your voice; it won't matter if she hears it again. There's no reason for us to continue to torment her like this."

"Bah." Rolf shook his head. "I forget you don't have the stomach for this. Fine, I will give her the injection. I will be right back." Grabbing the black ski mask Rolf left their hideout and slipped quietly down the warehouse where they had stashed Belle. Once inside, Rolf slipped the mask over his head and opened the door. Belle was still curled up shivering from his suggestion that it was cold. He smiled; the truth was the advent of night had only managed to cool the temperature down to a balmy 85 degrees. 

Belle looked up when she heard him enter. Her eyes were red from crying and glazed from the drug in her system. She shuddered. Was he real or another false vision? She couldn't be sure. She did know that this was not the same person as before. She whimpered.

"What's the matter, Miss Black? You seem a little cold. I do hope the rats haven't bothered you." Rolf's smile widened under the mask as he saw her cut her eyes first to one corner and then the other. He had no doubt hat she was now seeing imaginary rats. He pulled out the syringe and was about to inject her when Bart's voice came over the intercom.

"Get out of there. There are a couple of kids nosing around. They just came in the outer room."

Rolf frowned. He wasn't about to let some nosy kids ruin his plans. Without bothering to swab her arm with alcohol, he jabbed her arm with the needle. Before he could push the plunger, Shawn and Chloe burst into the room.

"Get away from her." Shawn rushed him when he saw the needle. Rolf was able to inject half the contents into Belle's arm before Shawn tackled him. As Rolf and Shawn rolled around the floor trying to get leverage, Chloe went to Belle's side. Without wasting a moment, she pulled the syringe from Belle's arm. She didn't know what was in it but she didn't want to take any chances of the rest of the contents accidentally getting injected into her.

Rolf pushed Shawn aside and ran from the room. Shawn was about to follow him but Chloe called his name. "Shawn, let him go. Belle needs our help."

That stopped Shawn in his tracks. He tuned to the two girls. "How is she?"

Chloe shrugged. "I don't know. Help me get her untied."

Shawn pulled out his pocketknife and his cell phone. He handed Chloe the phone. "Here I'll do it. You call 911. Tell them to send an ambulance as well as the police. " As Chloe dialed the number Shawn untied the gag. "Talk to me Belle. Are you okay?" He cupped her head tenderly in his hands, wincing as he noticed the bruises on her cheek and around her mouth. She wore a dazed expression.

Things were turning wild for Belle. The drug her captor had tried to give her was working faster than the first one. She could see Shawn but his face was all distorted like she was looking through a kaleidoscope. From somewhere she could hear maniacal laughter. She wondered if it was from the rats coming steadily toward her. But then she decided it must be coming from the tall man with dark hair standing in the corner. She recognized him as Stefano even though she'd only seen him once before. The strange thing was that he was dressed as Captain Hook.

Truly worried now, Shawn gave her a little shake. "Belle?" He leaned her forward against his chest while he cut through the ropes binding her wrists. He could already tell they were chafed and raw from the ropes. If only she would say something to let him know that she was aware of his presence. 

"Help is on its way. The dispatcher is going to call Brady's pub and let her parents know she's been found. How is she?"

Shawn shook his head, tears in his eyes. "She won't talk to me."

Belle looked at Shawn and Chloe. They came back for her. This time she would make them take her with them. Her throat hurt from the lack of water and she wasn't sure if she could talk but she had to make sure that this time they didn't leave her behind. "Peter, Wendy, don't go away again. Take me with you."

Her voice was hoarse and almost inaudible. Shawn and Chloe had to strain to hear her. They gave each other an odd look. Who were Peter and Wendy and what was she talking about? Chloe touched her shoulder. "Belle, we aren't going to leave you. You're safe now."

Sirens cut through the silence of the night. Shawn was glad the police and paramedics weren't far away. He handed his pocketknife to Chloe to cut away the ropes that bound Belle's ankles. As she did, he pulled Belle protectively closer. Though her skin was warm to the touch, she was shivering like it was winter.

Belle clutched Shawn tightly. The rats were creeping closer and closer; they'd be crawling on her in no time. "Don't." She swallowed hard but couldn't produce enough saliva to make her vocal cords work beyond that one word.

Chloe saw a bottle of water lying nearby and offered it to her friend. At first Belle drank greedily but then a look of revulsion crossed her face and she knocked the bottle away spilling water everywhere. She coughed hard; gagging on the water she'd just swallowed. Fearful that she'd done something wrong, Chloe picked up the bottle and sniffed. Taking a tentative sip of what was left, she realized it was just what it appeared to be, a little warm but water never the less.

Hearing footsteps running into the building, Shawn was relieved. He didn't know what was wrong with his friend but he knew she needed to get to the hospital quick. With a yell he directed them in. "We're in here. Come quick."

Roman and Abe rushed into the room. Roman knelt beside his nephew giving the young girl he'd first believed to be his daughter a quick but careful once-over for injuries. Then he looked back at Shawn. "How did the two of you find her?"

"We just got lucky. Roman, the guy who had her was giving her something by injection when we came in. I don't know what it was or how much he'd managed to give her."

"Apparently not much." Chloe picked up the half full syringe and handed it to Roman.

"We'll have it analyzed as soon as we get her to the hospital. Belle, are you hurt anywhere?"

But the distraught teen just whimpered and buried her head against Shawn's shoulder. It felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest with its frantic pounding. Without thinking about what the others would think, Shawn kissed the top of her head. "It's okay, Belle. You're safe now."

He looked from Abe to Roman. "She's been like this since we found her. Either whatever is in that syringe was so powerful that just a little would do this or she was already drugged. Where are those paramedics?"

Belle glanced up just as they came in. In her drug-fevered mind she didn't see them as medics; instead she saw them as giant rats. Screaming as loud as her parched throat would let her, she tried to kick them away. Shawn held her tightly as she thrashed about. He didn't know what else to do. "Belle, it's okay, you're safe." He repeated. It was the only thing he could think of to assure her.

"Giant rats. Peter, don't let them take me. Hook sent them."

This frightened Shawn even more. Helplessly, he looked to Roman. His uncle touched his shoulder. "She's hallucinating. She seems to trust you. Talk to her. Convince her to let the paramedics examine her."

Shawn nodded. He looked at Chloe and saw she looked just as scared as he felt. "Belle, it's okay. They aren't rats. Look at them. It's only," He glanced at the medic's nametags. "Sam and Mike. They want to help you."

Belle reluctantly looked up. At first she still saw the rats but then the power of suggestion that Rolf had used to terrorize her worked in Shawn's favor. Slowly, they became human once more. She stopped thrashing but continued to hold on tightly to Shawn's shirt. She looked up at him. "What's happening to me?"

As Shawn cajoled his frightened friend into letting the paramedics examine her, Chloe stepped into the outer room. She didn't want to admit how shaken she was by what she'd witnessed. Abe followed her out. He touched her shoulder. "Chloe, are you okay?"

She nodded, once more the stoic. "I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me."

Abe wasn't convinced but he didn't press her. "When I called the pub to let John and Marlena know you and Shawn had found Belle, your mom was there. She is going to meet us at the hospital."

"ABE!" John and Marlena rushed into the building. They had to come here. They couldn't just wait at the hospital for Belle to arrive. Abe hugged Marlena. 

"She's in the other room. Shawn and Roman and the paramedics are with her."

"How is she? Please, Abe, tell me. Was she hurt?"

Abe sighed. "She's got some bruises but she didn't look injured. She has been drugged though. We don't know with what but it is apparently causing hallucinations. Go on in there; she needs you two."

***

The hospital waiting room was full of people waiting to hear how Belle was. Eric was sitting next to Marlena, his arms wrapped around her. John was pacing back and forth. Alice Horton had arrived with a whole platter of doughnuts that she'd spent all afternoon cooking. Roman and Abe had Chloe in one corner questioning her. Shawn remained aloof from the rest of the crowd. He hovered near the exam room door, waiting for Dr. Wesley to let them know how she was.

When Craig finally emerged, everyone froze. He looked grim. Ignoring everyone else, he went straight to John and Marlena. "I'm still waiting on lab results from the blood samples I sent down. I don't know what she was given but it was apparently pretty powerful. That is my greatest concern. She's having hallucinations that are very real. I had to be careful of what I said to her. She's very susceptible to the power of suggestion. Her blood pressure and her pulse are high right now. I think that has to do both with the drugs and fear of what she's been through. I'm going to keep a close eye on that. Fortunately, she's seems uninjured with the exception of minor bruising. It does appear that she is slightly dehydrated so I did have the nurse start an IV of fluids. Other than that there would be no reason physically to keep her overnight. However, until we know the full effect of the drugs she was given, I'd rather have her here in the hospital where she can be monitored. I'm having her moved to a room now."

Marlena slowly digested everything he said. "Can we see her?"

Craig nodded. "You and John can. She's asking for you in fact. But I don't think she needs to see anyone else tonight. She's vulnerable right now. I would like to give her a sedative but I don't want to chance a bad drug interaction. Try to convince her to get some rest. It's the best thing for her right now."

Shawn started to protest. The way she'd clung to him while the paramedics examined her was still vivid in his mind. He'd never seen anyone that scared and upset. He wanted to reassure himself that she was okay. Marlena noticed. She touched his arm. "Shawn, it's almost 1:00. Why don't you go back to Shawn and Caroline's and get some rest. You can come see Belle in the morning. We appreciate what you did tonight more than we can say. Take care of yourself now. Okay?"

Reluctantly and only because he had no choice, Shawn nodded. He would go back to his grandparents' but he doubted he would rest. He wouldn't be able to do that until he knew for sure that she was okay. He watched Belle's parents walk down the hall behind Craig Wesley. Caroline put her arm around her grandson's shoulders.

"She's fine now, Shawn. Thanks to you and Chloe, Belle is safe. Now, come on, let's go home."

****

Belle pulled the blanket up close to her chin. The nurse next to her bed smiled at her, but Belle didn't trust her. Where was Shawn or her parents? Why weren't they with her? She trusted them. She knew they wouldn't hurt her. At least she was away from the warehouse she'd been held captive in. She felt safer here in the hospital than she had there but she wouldn't be completely comfortable until she had her parents nearby. She jumped when the cuff around her left arm suddenly inflated. The nurse glanced at her.

"It's okay, Belle, it's just the blood pressure cuff. Remember, I told you that it would take your blood pressure every fifteen minutes." The nurse wrote the numbers down on her chart as the door opened and Marlena and John entered.

"Mom! Dad!" Belle sat up as best she could as her parents hugged her. She clung to John for an extra minute before pulling away. She noticed that both of her parents had tears in their eyes. Marlena sat beside her on the bed and held her close. 

"Oh, Belle. We were so worried about you. I'm so glad that you are all right. But you are safe now. Nothing is going to happen to you again. Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

"My throat hurts." Belle admitted softly. It was still dry from the lack of water and irritated by all the screaming and crying she had done. Marlena smiled at her and pushed the hair away from Belle's eyes before turning to the nightstand to pour some water into a glass. Seeing that Belle's hands were shaking; Marlena held the cup for her as Belle drank.

As it had earlier, at first the water was a welcome relief to her parched throat. But then a horrible taste registered in her brain and she gagged. Marlena and John watched her worriedly. Shuddering hard, Belle rested her head on the pillow, tears in her eyes. "It tastes like blood."

Marlena tested the water but found nothing unusual about the taste. The nurse that was still in the room frowned at the statement and quickly checked to see if Belle might have a cut or open wound in her mouth that was still bleeding that the doctor might have missed. Finding nothing, the nurse made a note on Belle's chart. After once more recording Belle's vitals the nurse smiled turned to Marlena and John. "I'll leave the three of you alone. We will be monitoring her blood pressure and pulse from the desk. If you need me push the call button"

After the nurse was gone, John gently caressed Belle's cheek. "You want me to get you something else? I could run down to the vending machine and get you some juice or a soda."

Belle shook her head, her eyes obviously heavy. "Please don't leave me, Daddy. I know the bad things can't get me if you and Mom are with me."

John nodded. Exchanging a look with Marlena, he squeezed his daughter's hand. "Nothing else is going to happen to you, Belle. I promise you that I won't let anyone or anything hurt you again. You are safe."

"Your daddy's right, Belle." Marlena smiled reassuringly. "You are completely safe. Why don't you close your eyes and get some sleep. Dr. Wesley said that was the best thing for you right now."

Belle wanted to protest; her parents had no idea the images she saw whenever she closed her eyes for even just a moment. But the events of the day were catching up with her and pushing her eyelids down until she was finally asleep. Marlena moved away from the bed to sink into a chair. Her head lowered; the only sign that that she was crying was the shaking of her shoulders. In an instant John was at her side and holding her tight.

"Easy, Doc. She's okay now. She's safe."

"What did they do to her though? John, the look of fear in her eyes; I can't stand it. She's just as scared now as she was at the warehouse. Who could do something like that to such a sweet innocent girl?"

  
John sighed and looked back at his sleeping daughter. It was clear that her sleep was troubled but there was nothing he could do about it. He knew that Marlena would be able to work with her and help her recover from the trauma but he couldn't do anything to help Belle recover. But he wasn't about to sit idly by and do nothing. "I don't know, Doc., but I'm going to find out. They won't get away with this; I can promise you that."

"NO!" John and Marlena returned to the bed at Belle's pitiful whimper. Her eyes were tightly scrunched together and a thin line of sweat stood out on her forehead. Her muscles tight, Belle thrashed about the bed fighting some imaginary, yet to her very real, threat. The machine connected to the cuff on her arms told them her blood pressure was 130/92 and that her pulse was 110. 

Marlena took Belle's clenched fist in her own hand and gave it a little squeeze. She whispered reassurances to Belle, who did not wake up. She glanced back at John, her face grim. The expression in her eyes reflected exactly what John was thinking. Belle might be safe but the nightmare was far from over.

***

Dr. Craig Wesley looked at the report he had just been handed with a frown. It had been a long night and he'd only gotten a few hours sleep in his office. He'd been waiting on this report since he first sent the blood sample to the lab. He didn't like what the results showed though. Picking up the phone, he punched in a few numbers and waited for someone to answer. 

__

"Lab."

"This is Dr. Wesley. I just got the work-up back on Belle Black. Are you guys sure? There is no doubt?"

__

"We ran the blood through several tests to be sure. There can be no mistake. I would hate to have been her last night. Someone said she was just a teen. Why won't these kids learn to stay away from drugs."

"This is Dr. Evans' daughter that we are talking about. She was a kidnap victim. I trust I don't have to remind you not to discuss the results of the tests with anyone." Craig barked into the phone and hung up. He was not looking forward to telling John and Marlena what he had learned but he knew they needed to know. Looking at the results, he was sure that they had gotten even less sleep than he had gotten. He started down the hallway to the room Belle was in.

"Dr. Wesley." Shawn ran to catch up with him. Craig stopped and glared at him. In the brief break he had had last night, Nancy had filled him in on how Belle had been rescued. He wasn't happy with the teenager in front of him right now. Shawn took just a moment to catch his breath. "How is Belle?"

"I'm on my way to check on her now. Before I do, though, perhaps you would care to explain to me what you were thinking last night taking my daughter with you on a hunt for Belle and her kidnappers. Anything could have happened to Chloe in that warehouse last night. I thought you were supposed to be her friend."

Shawn held Craig's glare. He had already gotten the riot act from his grandparents and would probably get another one from his dad when he found out. But he knew that people were too relieved that Belle was now safe to be truly angry with him. "I tried to get Chloe to stay at the pub but she insisted on coming alone. Belle is her friend too and neither of us could just stand around waiting for someone to find her. I wouldn't have let anything happen to Chloe but after seeing Belle in that warehouse last night, I don't regret a thing I did. I don't think she could have survived much more, at least not mentally. I think Chloe would tell you the same thing."

"She already has. I know that this time nothing went wrong but if you ever put my daughter in danger again…"

"With all due respect Dr. Wesley, I hope nothing like yesterday ever happens again. I don't like seeing my friends in that much pain. Can I see Belle now?"

"Give me a moment to examine her. Then if her parents don't mind, I have no objections." Stopping at the nurses' station, he picked up Belle's chart and scanned the nurse's notes. He wasn't happy with what he saw but everything was what he had expected giving the lab results. He nodded to the guard stationed outside the door. Telling Shawn to wait outside, Craig lightly knocked on the door and entered the room.

He took a moment to observe before he said anything. Belle appeared to be sleeping peacefully at the moment but the sweat-drenched, twisted sheets indicated that her sleep hadn't always been so peaceful. John was sitting on one side of the bed tightly holding Belle's hand while Marlena was lying beside Belle on the bed gently stroking the young girl's hair. Neither parent looked like they had slept at all. Seeing Craig standing there, John and Marlena sat up and waited for him to tell them how Belle was.

"How long has she been sleeping?" Craig asked softly.

John glanced at his watch. "She's only been sleeping this well for about thirty minutes. Before that she was sleeping but I doubt she was getting any rest. She was tossing and turning and crying out in her sleep. There were a couple of times I thought she was going to pull out her IV. Tell me you have good news."

Craig checked the readout on the automated blood pressure machine and compared it to the notes on her chart. "Her blood pressure and pulse are still a little higher than I would like to see but both are considerably lower than they were when she was brought in last night. That added to the fact that she is now sleeping peacefully, I would think she is over the worst of the drugs in her system. I would have to do another blood test to be sure but I don't want to wake her if she's finally getting rest."

Marlena breathed a sigh of relief. "Do you know yet what she was drugged with?"

Craig nodded. "I do. I don't want to discuss it in front of her though. Even asleep, she may overhear and it could upset her. Why don't we step down the hall to the consultation room."

Marlena and John both looked at Belle. Though she was sleeping well, neither of them wanted her to wake up alone. Craig sensed their hesitation. "Shawn Brady is waiting outside, anxious to see her. He could sit with her while we talk if that would make you feel better."

Marlena nodded. Craig opened the door and motioned Shawn in. Leaving Belle's side Marlena hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek. "We owe you so much Shawn. Because of you Belle is safe. No words can tell you how much we appreciate what you have done."

Shawn blushed. "I'm just glad she's okay. She is okay, isn't she?"

John nodded. "Craig seems to think she's over the worst. Can you stay with her for a few minutes while we talk to him outside? Doc. and I don't want her waking up with nobody here."

Shawn nodded. "Don't worry about her. I watch out for her." 

John squeezed his shoulder. "Yeah, I know you will. We'll be back real soon. Have the nurse come get us if you need us."

Once he was alone with Belle, Shawn sat next to her and watched her sleep. He knew that in reality she'd only been missing for about 5 hours but it had seemed like a lifetime. He could only imagine what it had been like for her. It was amazing what a few hours had done for her. Those moments in the warehouse before John and Marlena had arrived were perhaps more terrifying for him than waiting at the pub if only because he could see how scared she was and was unable to really help her.

The cuff on her arm began to inflate. As it squeezed her upper arm, a grimace crossed her face and her eyes slowly opened. Shawn smiled at her. She blinked the sleep from her eyes. For a moment she eyed him in confusion. Why was her mind still doing this to her? Then it hit her that he was wearing regular clothing and not the tights he'd worn in her visions. Maybe this was really Shawn. "Shawn?"

***

Craig waited until John and Marlena were sitting before talking to them. "I just got the lab results back. We now know what drugs Belle was given. The lab techs found two separate drugs in her blood. One was an Opium derivative that causes hallucinations. It appears that that was the first drug she was given. Addicts use it because it tends to take images from the mind and make them seem real but it also has a high reaction rate to the power of suggestion."

Marlena nodded. "I've heard of those drugs. If you tell someone on these drugs that they can fly they really believe they can actually jump out of a building and not fall. What was the other drug?"

"Tricrystaline. It's a new psychedelic drug that we're just learning about. It's a horrible drug. Where the other drug would take things already in Belle's mind, say a horror movie, and make it real; Tricrystaline will plant images of its own."

***

"Is that really you?" Belle asked tentatively, not sure whether or not to trust her eyes.

"It's me. Your mom and dad just walked down the hall to talk to Dr. Wesley. How are you feeling?"

"Kind of out of it. Everything that happened is still fuzzy. I don't know what's real or not after we were pulled into that alley." Reaching out Belle gently touched one of the bruises on his cheek. She blinked. "Did that happen when we were attacked?"

Shawn smiled. "Yeah, but don't think about that. I'm just sorry I didn't stop them from taking you."

Belle blinked sleepily. "Are you kidding? You saved me, didn't you? I remember you and Chloe being there. Or did I imagine that?"

"We were there. You had us worried. You weren't saying much and what you were saying didn't make sense. You called us Peter and Wendy."

"You told me too. You were dressed like Peter Pan and you wouldn't take me to Never Never Land because I was tied up. Then you came back and said you were taking Chloe instead. She was beautiful. I mean she's always been beautiful but this time she was a total knock out in a red dress, without her glasses, and her hair all pulled up." She grimaced as the talking hurt her parched throat. 

Shawn quickly got her some water. "Here, drink this."

***

"Tricrystaline doesn't just cause visual hallucinations like the opium derivative. It also can cause hallucinations of the other senses as well." Craig Wesley went on to explain.

John looked confused but realization dawned on Marlena. "Such as when she drinks ordinary water she tastes blood instead."

Craig nodded. "I read that in her chart. Fortunately Shawn and Chloe prevented Belle's captor from giving her a full dose of the drug. She doesn't appear to be experiencing any of the touch sensitive hallucinations this drug has been known to produce. I really think that if she's received the full dose on top of the opium derivative, the combination of the drugs would have caused her to have a heart attack and die."

John held Marlena tight. He said a silent prayer of thanksgiving that Belle had been rescued in time. "So what can we expect from this drug, Craig?"

The Chief of Staff sighed. This was the part he hated to admit. "I really don't know, John. This drug is too new for us to know exactly what to expect. Once the drug is fully out of her system, she may never experience another problem. On the other hand, she may experience flashback hallucinations for the rest of her life. If you like, I can recommend a few really good drug counselors. Marlena, I'm not dismissing your qualifications as a psychiatrist but the ones that I'm thinking of can help Belle learn to recognize a hallucination from reality in case she does experience flashbacks. Besides, we both know that as doctors we lose all objectivity when it comes to dealing with our own family members."

Marlena nodded. "Thank you. We would appreciate the recommendations. For now, though I think I want to go back to my daughter. I know that Shawn is with her and there is a guard outside her door but I'd feel better having her in sight."

Craig nodded. "I can understand that all to well. Do the police have any leads on who kidnapped her?"

John shook his head. "Not yet. Roman said last night that he would come by and question Belle as soon as she felt up to it."

***

Belle knocked the glass aside. Tears filled her eyes. "Am I crazy or what? Everything I drink tastes so horrible."

Shawn eased onto the bed beside her and held her close. "Shh, no, Belle, you aren't crazy. You've been through something completely horrible. I bet it has something to do with the drug you were given. Just give it time and everything will taste normal again. So, I was Peter Pan, huh? I guess you got that from our conversation on the island. Please tell me I wasn't wearing tights or anything like that."

The change in subject actually brought a little smile to Belle's lips. "Actually, yeah you were. Green tights under a green tunic."

Shawn was glad to see her looking a little more relaxed. "We don't have to tell anyone else about that, okay? It can be our little secret. I wouldn't have minded seeing Chloe all dressed up though. We better not tell her about that one either. She'd have a fit."

When Belle didn't answer, Shawn looked down. Safe in his arms, she'd promptly fallen back asleep. He smiled at her. He didn't move lest he would wake her. He figured she probably needed all the rest she could get right now. He didn't want to admit to himself or anyone else how good and reassuring it felt just sitting there holding her.

The door opened and Chloe stepped into the room. She stopped when she saw Shawn holding Belle. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." She started to leave.

"Wait, Chloe. Don't go. Belle will be glad to see you when she wakes up." Shawn smiled reassuringly.

Chloe allowed herself a moment of hesitation before crossing the room to sit in a chair. "So, how is she doing? Nancy talked to Craig this morning but he didn't know much yet."

"She's better than she was last night in the warehouse. I don't know about you but I never want to see anyone go through what she was going though."

Chloe watched him carefully. "You care about her don't you?"

Shawn shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah. I mean she's my friend. Of course I care about her. Don't you?"

"I mean as more than a friend. You are falling in love with her." Chloe smiled.

Shawn glanced down at Belle, sleeping so peacefully in his arms. Could what Chloe was saying be true? He shook his head. "What makes you think that?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Every since I came to Salem, you and Belle are the only two people at Salem High to give me a chance. I've often wondered why but I think I finally figured it out. The two of you are just nice people. You don't look at me and see Ghoul Girl or Vampira. You see me and you accept me for who I am not what you think I should be. I don't know how I would have gotten through all these months of school if it hadn't been for you and Belle."

Neither teen noticed that John, Marlena and Craig were standing at the doorway listening in. Craig hadn't realized just how rough school had been for Chloe. He turned to John and Marlena. "I don't know what to say. I knew Belle was a good friend to Chloe but I never realized just how good a friend both Belle and Shawn have been to her."

"Chloe, you are a great person. Of course Belle and I befriended you. If the others would just give you half a chance, they'd see what we see in you as well. But I don't understand what this has to do with you thinking I'm in love with Belle."

"If it had been you and I together in that alley yesterday afternoon and I had been kidnapped instead of Belle, you would have worried about me and felt bad for what had happened. I know that because you are nice guy but it would have been different. You wouldn't have taken it so personally. I saw the way you were looking at Belle last night in that warehouse. I saw the way you were looking at her when I came in. You look at her as if she was the most precious thing in the world to you and that if you look away too long you might lose her." Chloe glanced down at the floor. "You look at her like I saw Craig looking at Nancy after she was hit by that car. You can deny it to her and you can deny it to yourself but you can't deny it to me. You love Belle."

To be continued…


End file.
